Wedding gift ideas

The wedding season is here. Apart from plates and glasses, what else can you buy as a wedding gift? My friend Julie sheds some light on this important matter 🙂 Read on……………..

Recently, we were moving houses and as we packed stuff, I realized that two years down the line, most of the things we are using are stuff that we were given as wedding gifts. I must say that some people were so thoughtful and gave us gifts that have proven to be quite helpful. On the other hand, there are some gifts which I just had to give away because I still didn’t know what to do with them two years after our wedding. Are you attending a wedding soon and you are not sure what to buy for the bride and groom? Here are some helpful guidelines to keep in mind.

One of the first things you should do is to ask the bride and groom whether they have a gift registry. A gift registry is simply a compiled list of items or a wish list of what the bride and groom would like to have. The wish list is given to a retailer, where the items are meant to be purchased. If you want to access the registry, all you have to do is go to the reception or customer service area and request to see it. You will have to give the name of either the bride or groom. Check out the registry and buy something that is within your budget. Once you make a purchase, the item is cancelled out from the list. This prevents many people from buying the same gift. Some major supermarkets in Kenya have such registries. Please note that a gift registry is not an obligation of what to buy, but just a suggestion of what the bride and groom would like to have.

Ask the bride and groom whether they have come up with a list of items they would like to have in their new home. They may not necessarily have put up these items in a registry. The ladies in our church did this and I gave them our list. They picked a couple of items, which were within their price range to purchase. You can bet that we are still using the items they gave us.

It’s completely acceptable to call the bride and groom and ask them what they would like. A few people asked us what we preferred to have and told us how much money they can afford to spend. We really appreciated that as they got us exactly what we wanted. Some people gave us a range of options to choose from and asked which item we preferred to have.

Consider giving a cash gift. Most couples would prefer this option but they are too polite to ask. No amount of cash is too much or too little. You can give the cash gift before or on the wedding day or even after.

Consider the circumstances of the couple. After we got married, we had to relocate to Uganda. We got some really great gifts that we would have really liked to keep, but we just couldn’t travel with them, so we just had to give them away before we travelled. If the couple will be relocating abroad, give them something that they can easily carry. Keep in mind that extra baggage attracts additional charges when travelling, whether by plane or road.

Buy a practical item, something that the couple can use in their day to day life. Most couples forget to buy some minor items, which are important. Low cost items which you can consider buying includes jugs, thermos/tea flasks, towels, blankets, plate racks, door mat, bedside mats, plate racks, bed-sheets, sauce pans, tableware such as salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl, spoons, folks, knives, serving bowls, sewing kit, buckets, basins, mop and mop bucket, broom, iron box etc.

When it comes to buying big ticket items, consider teaming up with other people and splitting the cost among yourselves. You will have to be really organized to pull this one off. Decide how much is to be contributed and who will buy the gift. Some big ticket items include chairs, tables, wardrobe, TV, fridge, microwave, gas cooker, oven, a house, a car, land, pay a couple months rent for the couple etc.

At the end of the day, what really matters is that you get the bride and groom something that they want or need, otherwise they just won’t use it. The idea behind a wedding gift is to congratulate the newly wedded couple and give them something that will help them start their new life together.

Are you married? What are some of the great gifts you received during your wedding?

I am Wanjiru Kihusa and I’m a writer and founder of Still A Mum – an organization that seeks to reduce maternal and newborn deaths in Africa. I am especially passionate about women and children.
I blog to share my thoughts and experiences hoping that in the process someone will learn from my life.